Yearning
by annalixse
Summary: Yearning: n. a feeling of intense longing for something (A Fremione Love Story)
1. Chapter 1

"Hermione, come on! Harry and Ron are going, too! Why don't you ever want to go out with us?" Ginny practically screamed at Hermione, pouting a bit and crossing her arms. "I've been asking all week, and you said maybe yesterday, so why is it a no now?"

Hermione gave a small laugh as she held her transfiguration book up, in an effort to back up her argument for staying in. "I have a paper to write, you know that."

Ginny rolled her eyes and grabbed the other girl by the arm, shaking her a bit. "But that isn't due for another two weeks!"

Hermione shrugged as she absent-mindedly ran her fingers over the binding of her book. "I want to get a head start."

Ginny groaned and shook her head, as she started to back away from Hermione, realizing she lost the battle. "Fine. We'll be in Hogsmeade if you want to come join us later!" She waved and ran off. Hermione laughed again and grabbed the rest of her things from off of the couch. Her book in one hand, and her bag over her other shoulder, she set off for the library.

On her way in, she waved to Madame Pince and made her way to her favorite corner to study. In the back of the library, where nobody ever went, right by the window, looking out onto the grounds of Hogwarts. She set down her things and began to work on her paper. Foot after foot, she continued to write, occasionally stopping to read sections she had marked off in her textbook. She became so intwined in her work that she didn't notice the redhead walk up behind her.

"Afternoon, 'Mione." He smiled and leaned on the corner of her desk.

She jumped a bit at his words, and relaxed when she looked up at the familiar face. "Hello, Fred." She looked back down at her paper and began writing once again.

He laughed a bit as he watched her. "What are you doing? I thought I saw Harry, Ginny, and Ron headed down to Hogsmeade. Don't you usually hang around with that lot?" He teased.

She nodded a bit, continuing to scratch away at her parchment. "Yes, usually. But it is _un_ usual when I have a paper to do." She bit her lip a bit as she read over what she had just wrote.

He watched her carefully and then placed his hand over what she was writing, smiling cheekily. She scowled as she looked up at him, trying not to whine. "Fred…."

He chuckled and patted her on the head. "'Mione, you need to go out. You're always back here, you know that? Always here, by the window, always looking out of it. Why don't you ever go out there? It's real, you know. The world." He smiled and leaned against the bookcase, crossing his arms.

She opened her mouth as to answer, and then raised an eyebrow. "And how would you know I'm always back here, Mr. Weasley? Nobody else ever comes back here."

He shook his head and laughed. "So absorbed in your work you don't even notice that I come back here. Really, Hermione. The fresh air would do you some good."

She stared at him in disbelief for a moment before he retorted, "I may be _the_ Hogwarts prankster, but I do _some_ of my work… sometimes." He slipped the parchment out from under Hermione's grasp and waved it in front of her face. "You get this back when you go to The Three Broomsticks with me."

She groaned and reached for the paper, but he pulled it out of her reach. "Not that easy, madame." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Fine, Fred Weasley. An hour. That's the longest I'll go out. Then I really need to work on this paper."

He laughed and nodded. "We'll see about that."


	2. Chapter 2

As the pair made their way out of the castle, a light snow began to fall on the grounds. Hermione smiled a bit as she watched the flakes settle on her jacket, and then fade as they melted. She stood still for a moment, and looked up the sky, her smile ever growing. She tilted her head back ever so slightly, and closed her eyes.

Fred laughed and watched her for a moment. "Told ya the real world isn't that bad, Granger."

She stuck her tongue out at him a bit, as she began to walk again, laughing slightly as she shook her head. "Yeah, yeah, Weasley. We'll see how right you are." She faded back in to reality and walked alongside the older boy on their way down to Hogsmead.

"You know, I can't even remember the last time I saw you laugh, Granger." He nudged her lightly and smirked.

She pushed him a bit harder than he did her, laughing the whole time. "Just because you aren't around doesn't mean I don't laugh, Weasley."

"Oh, but I think it does, cause after all, I am _the_ Hogwarts prankster. Haven't you heard?" He looked down at her and then pushed her down into a pile of snow and ran down towards Hogsmead.

"Fred Weasley! I am going to kill you!" She laughed as she pulled herself up, brushing some off the snow off of her jacket and hair. "Get back here!" She yelled, chasing after him.

By the time they got to the Three Broomsticks, they were both completely out of breath. Hermione pulled her hat and gloves off as they entered the building and nudged Fred. "I'll get you back for that. Keep an eye out."

"Oh, sure. Hermione Granger trying to terrorize me. I'm sure that'll work out well. Let me know how it goes, won't you?" He took his gloves off and she rolled her eyes, her smile never fading. Fred wiped some of the snow off of her shoulders and smiled at her. "Let's find your friends, yeah?" She nodded and followed him through the crowded building.

"Hermione! You actually came!" Ginny laughed, as Hermione walked over towards her.

"I wouldn't have, if your brother didn't steal my homework." She replied, as she shrugged off her jacket and rubbed her hands together, trying to warm up a bit. She slid into a seat next to the rest of the group, as did Fred.

The group sat around for a while, talking and laughing, until Hermione looked outside at the darkened sky. "Oh my.. What time is it?!" She scampered to grab her coat and pulled her hat and gloves on, pushing up from the table, then glancing back at the group. "I'm sorry. I have to go finish my paper." She shot a glare at Fred and crossed her arms. "I said one hour."

He shook his head and stood up. "It's only been a little longer than that! Maybe two hours… Maybe three…" He flashed a quick grin before pulling on his jacket. "C'mon, 'Mione. I'll walk you back up."

She shook her head and quickly walked out in front of Fred. He followed, practically running to keep up with her. "'Mione!" He yelled, but she ignored him as she set on her way back towards the castle. "Hermione Jean Granger!"

She spun on her heels back towards him, stopping instantly. She looked like she could have strangled him. "And just _how_ do you know my middle name, Fred…" She tried to think of what his middle name was, but couldn't ever remember having heard it. "Uh…Fred Weasley?" She tried to make herself sound angry again, but it did't seem to be working.

He smiled and finally caught up to her. "I told you, I do pay attention sometimes." He started walking towards the castle, leaving her standing there, He turned around and smiled widely. "Well what are you still standing there for? You have a paper to write, Ms. Granger." He winked and continued up towards the castle.

She shook her head in disbelief as she followed him, mumbling to herself, "Well he's certainly something…" She followed him the whole way back to the library. When they arrived back where they started, he pulled out her chair for her and placed her parchment back onto the table.

"I'll be right back." He quickly walked out of the library, and she rolled her eyes, before setting to work on her paper.

She managed to finish several more paragraphs before Fred returned, looking just as sly as ever. He pulled up a chair next to her and rested his head on his hands, as he leaned on the table. She thought he resembled a small child, but shook the idea before returning to her work. "You don't have to wait around for me, you know."

He smiled as he watched her quill dance across the page before responding. "I know, but I figured you might like a little treat for experiencing the outdoors today. And for having me push you down." He waved his wand and a cup of hot chocolate appeared in front of her. Her jaw nearly dropped before she composed herself and turned to him. The corners of her mouth turned up a bit, as she tried not to look too thankful.

"Where did you get this?" She reached for the cup, and sipped at it, leaving a small bit of cream on her top lip. He chuckled and ran his thumb over it, before licking it off of his finger.

"I know people… or should I say, elves." He winked and made his own chocolate appear, and then carefully sipped at it.

"Thank you…" She mumbled and then did the same. He watched her carefully as she set down the mug and returned to work on her paper.

"You know, Granger. I'm making you a promise right now. I'm going to make sure you learn how to have some fun before this year is over." He saw her quill stop for a moment, before she continued her sentence.

"Oh, are you, now?" She half laughed and set her quill down to sip at her drink again, and finally looked him in the eyes. He nodded and offered her a friendly smile.

"Whether you like it or not, it's happening." He took another sip, before looking around and realizing they were the only two in the library. "I have to go find George. Don't stay here too late, or I might have to make you sneak out tonight." He laughed and waved his wand again, causing his mug to disappear, and then he headed towards the door. He waved to Madame Pince before disappearing, and Hermione turned toward her essay, her mind spinning. She thought about her day, and how Fred had treated her, and how for once she had actually enjoyed herself. She quickly shook the thoughts out of her head and placed her quill down to her parchment. After all, she had an essay to write.


	3. Chapter 3

The next week flew by rather quickly for Hermione—up until Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire, that is. They had all been laughing and joking, and then everything had changed. She had felt the stares, and heard the whispers. She had pushed him forward and urged him to speak with Dumbledore, but now she realized that maybe that wasn't the wisest decision. Maybe if she had told him to run the other way, she would have her two friends by her side at that moment. Maybe everybody would have just accepted that it was a mistake, and he wouldn't have had to compete. But now, she had no idea what was going on, and Ron was off sulking ahead of her, just as he had been when he watched Harry walk up to the front of the Great Hall. She knew there was something that she should be saying to him, something about how there was no way Harry could have entered, but she couldn't find the nerve to do it.

Her heart was racing as she made her way up to the common room with the rest of the Gryffindors, occasionally looking back over her shoulder, hoping that Harry was making his way through the crowd to explain to her _and Ron_ what was going on, but to no avail. By the time she got to the common room, her housemates were extremely rowdy, ready to celebrate their house having a victor. She needed a moment to herself, just to process what was happening.

She pushed her way past the throng of Gryffindors that was blocking the entrance to the girls' dormitories until she could finally make her way up the stairs. She closed the door behind her, collapsing onto her bed. As the other girls were downstairs, celebrating, no doubt, she finally had the space she needed. Her thoughts began to rush into her head faster than she was able to process them.

 _Harry was chosen to be a champion. Harry was going to be in a competition in which he could die. Harry was strong, and brave. Harry could fight whatever was going to come his way. But Harry was only a fourth year. Harry shouldn't have entered. Harry couldn't have entered. Then how had Harry become entered?_

She wanted to scream out in frustration at the sea of thoughts trapped inside her mind. "Work!" She nearly shouted aloud, as she had decided the best course of action was to focus all of her energy into her Arithmancy homework. Numbers and science. That would calm her down. Pure logic. Nothing that she couldn't explain. She smoothed out her parchment on the table in the corner of the room, and set to work immediately. She had finished nearly half of her work when a gaggle of girls came bursting into the room. Between all the giggles, Hermione had lost her train of thought. She rolled her eyes, collected her things, and began to make her way down the stairs into the Gryffindor common room.

She walked into the nearly empty common room, and noticed the Weasley twins huddled in a corner mumbling over a piece of paper, occasionally glancing around to see if anyone was listening to their conversation. Fred offered a small smile to Hermione as she spread her work out on a table in the opposite corner. Her heart skipped a beat as she made eye contact with the older boy, and she quickly sat down to begin the work she intended on finishing. However, after all the shuffling and distractions, her thoughts came racing back to her. As she looked down at her parchment, her vision began to blur. She took a sharp breath in, and let it out a few seconds later, much shakier than she normally would have.

 _Harry could die. Harry won't die. Harry could die. Harry won't die. But, Harry could die._

She sunk her head down onto her crossed arms on the table and exhaled deeply. A few stray tears came running down her cheeks. She tried to stay as still and as quiet as possible, so that the stragglers in the common room wouldn't know she was upset. Besides, they'd all just point and laugh anyway. But before she could think about that, she heard the chair next to her scrape along the floor, and felt a rough hand on the bit of her arm that wasn't entirely covered by her bushy hair. She lifted her head ever so slightly, and found herself looking into the eyes of Fred Weasley.

"What are you d-doing?" She asked softly, not bothering to push him away, but not bothering to move any closer either. She glanced around the room and noticed everyone else had cleared out.

He offered a soft smile and rubbed his thumb across her skin lightly. "You seemed upset. I didn't want to leave you down here all alone." He sucked his bottom lip in for a moment, and then inched his chair a few inches closer to hers, so they were side by side.

She looked down, sniffling a bit and avoiding his eyes. "I'm alright, don't worry."

He let out one, soft "ha," and then gently lifted her chin up to meet his gaze. "I know you're not, 'Mione. Talk to me, please."

At his words, she suddenly broke down. It wasn't as if anybody else had asked her how she was, now, or ever, really. She let the tears fall freely down her cheeks, and her sobs were soon muffled as Fred pulled her small frame against his much bulkier one. He rubbed her back gently and rested his chin on top of her head, cooing occasionally as she babbled on, attempting to understand the jumbled mess of words that was escaping her mouth.

"Harry … chosen ... champion … on his own ... supposed to ... could die ... I don't want … die … scared, Fred…" He pulled her in closer at her last words and closed his eyes, thinking for a moment.

"'Mione? How many times has somebody tried to kill Harry before? And how many times have they succeeded? He's not going to be all alone, love. You know how you help them on their potions essays sometimes?" She scoffed a bit and he smiled, happy to hear that the sobs had generally stopped. "Oh don't act all innocent! I've seen you, but that's not my point. Point is: You're going to help him, just like you help him then, and I know it. And with your help, Harry is basically unstoppable. And you really think Dumbledore is going to let anything happen to Harry? Hogwarts was probably the safest place to have had this tournament. But if you insist, I will march into Dumbledore's office right now and tell him I volunteer myself to take Harry's place. No, no! Don't try and stop me! I'll brave whatever danger lurks within these challenges, and I will tackle it head on, like a true Gryffindor!" He heard her laugh against his chest and watched as she pulled back and wiped her eyes. He gently reached out and wiped away a few stray tears, and then took her hand, leading her over to the couch. "You stay here, I'll be right back."

She watched as he made his way out of the portrait hole and it swung shut behind him. She thought she heard the Fat Lady call out after him, but that just made her smile a bit more. She curled up against the arm of the couch, and rested her head against it. He was right, after all. Harry would be okay. Dumbledore wouldn't let anything happen to him. He never had before. Her eyes began to droop, but she tried to force herself to stay awake, as she knew Fred would be back any moment. But then her thoughts began to wander, and the crackling fire in front of her was just so comforting. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep, before Fred had even returned.

When he came back, he smiled at her sleeping figure. He set down the two hot chocolates he had stolen from the kitchen, and pulled a blanket off of the back of an arm chair, draping it on top of her. He watched her shift and pull it around herself in her sleep, and he chuckled softly, sitting down in said armchair. He sipped at his hot chocolate, and kept a watch over the sleeping girl until the morning, making sure she was no longer upset. When morning came, and light came creeping in the window beside the couch, he stretched, and stood up, before they could create a scene. He watched as the morning light crept across Hermione's sleeping face, waking her up. When he saw her stretch, he made his way up their stairs, not letting her know that he had enjoyed playing the part of her protector through the night.


	4. Chapter 4

A bit of freezing rain was falling as Hermione made her way down to the Black Lake, but she ignored it and trudged on. Her world had been practically turned on its head over the past several days. With the arrival of Durmstrang, the library was no longer her safe space, as fits of giggles were constantly erupting whenever Viktor Krum was spotted. Ron and Harry still weren't on speaking terms, and trying to split her time between the two was finally wearing her down. She had just gotten out of the hospital wing, after Malfoy had sent a nasty jinx straight to her face, and rumors were quickly spreading around the school of some form of romance between her and Harry. She finally had had enough, which was what inspired her impromptu walk around the grounds.

She was trying to clear her mind as she wound around the edges of the lake. The mud that was ensuing from the rain soon was covered in her footprints, and she had lost track of the number of laps she had done long ago. She was mumbling a bit to herself as she stumbled on, completely oblivious to the world around her.

"I swear… those boys... " She angrily kicked a pebble that was in her path. "Not to mention the essay deadlines that are approaching!... Not that I could ever work on that.. No, of course not… Famous Krum just has to be in there..." She groaned and pulled her jacket tighter around her. She heard a laugh from the distance and rolled her eyes.

 _Not now…_ She didn't want anybody around. She just wanted to be by herself. She didn't need another person to come along and bother her. She was tired of the questioning about Harry, and the cruel taunts she was getting about Skeeter's word choice. Then, she heard squelching of the mud behind her, and before she knew it her temper got the better of her.

"Look! If you've come to tell me about how you think Harry can do better than me well then you might as well keep your comments to yourself!" She spun around quickly and stumbled into the arms of none other than Fred Weasley. He smirked down at her, which made her blush just a bit. "S-sorry Fred. I thought…"

"Oh no, please go on. Let it all out! I'm sure there's people up in the astronomy tower who didn't hear you yet. What were you saying about you and Harry?" His face was inches from hers, and he noticed the soft pink tint on her cheeks, which made his heart race.

Hermione quickly pulled herself together and stood properly on her feet. "Nothing, don't worry about it." She looked down at the ground, trying to avoid making eye contact with the mischievous redhead until she was sure her face had returned to its normal pigment.

He hesitated for a moment, and then reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You know, I heard about that article that Skeeter wrote about you, and what Pansy had to say about you."

Hermione's head snapped up, and her eyes narrowed. "Oh, have you? So you do believe it, then. Of course, I should have known." She scoffed and tried to walk off, but Fred's grip on her shoulders tightened, and he kept her still.

"No, I don't. I wanted to tell you that she's wrong." He moved one hand to lift up her chin a bit, so that he could look into her eyes. "Both of them. There is absolutely no basis for you and Harry, Colin should have just kept his mouth shut. And I've also come to tell you that I think that you're much better looking than a chipmunk."

She looked at him quizzically as she felt the heat rise up to her cheeks. "Better looking than a chipmunk?" Her mind was racing, again. How did her always make her feel like this. She couldn't be… No, no, of course not. It was Fred Weasley, for Merlin's sake! Older brother of her best friend. Ron would never look at her the same if he knew that she quite possibly was developing feelings for Fred. She could never jeopardize her friendship with him, or with Harry for that matter. But, there they were. Mere inches between them, and her heart was beating so fast she was sure it would come right out of her chest. And the heat she felt in her face, she knew that he could feel it too. How could it not? It felt as though her insides were on fire.

He chuckled a bit and nodded, his gaze never breaking. "Much. You know what else I think?" He gently moved a stray piece of hair away from her cheek. His rough hands caressed her cheek for just a moment more than necessary, and she held her breath the whole time. She was sure that if she took a breath, this moment would end, and she wasn't sure she wanted it to.

She shook her head in response to his question. "Skeeter was right about one thing." He mumbled, and then leaned closer so his lips were just brushing against the skin on her forehead. His voice was low, and he said it just loud enough for her to hear. "You are stunningly pretty." His lips connected with her forehead for a moment, and she closed her eyes, letting herself finally melt against him.

When Fred pulled away, Hermione's arms had wound themselves around his torso, and his were back on her shoulders. She smiled up at him for a moment, and then shivered. He let go of her, as she pulled away from him, and then held out his hand for her to take. "How about we go warm up? You're soaked down to the bone."

She didn't move at first, still a bit in shock from what had just happened. Maybe this was all some sort of prank. Of course, that had to be it! George and Lee were probably hiding around somewhere, laughing about how Fred had made her swoon. She looked around, and her heart picked up its pace again as she realized they were the only two outside. She gently slipped her hand in his, and he laughed, before making his way up to the castle with her.

The pair were silent most of the way up to the castle, until Hermione realized that Fred wasn't leading her back to the common room. "Uhm, Fred? Where are we going?" She began to panic, realizing that now was when the pranking would ensue. She was sure of it. She wanted to turn around, and run back to the common room, but she wasn't sure where they were. She looked around in a frenzy, trying to look for the nearest exit points, before she noticed a door appear on their side.

Fred led her over to it, and he ran his thumb over the back of her hand as he opened the door. "Don't be so tense, love. I'm not gunna hurt you."

At his words she immediately raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like something that somebody who is going to hurt me would say." He chuckled and shook his head as he pushed open the door. Hermione's eyes widened as she looked around at the scene in front of her.

The room was full of blankets and pillows, and there were even big comfy chairs like the ones she loved to curl up in in the common room. There was a fire crackling in a fireplace, and right in front of it was a table with a few snacks and hot drinks. She looked around the edges of the room and noticed in some areas, there were stacks of books, almost to the ceiling, and right by the door was a basket of fluffy towels for them to dry off with.

Hermione shook her head and turned back to Fred. "What is all of this?"

He smiled and lead her into the room, picking up a towel for each of them, and draping hers over her shoulders. She let go of his hand, and wrapped hers around herself, happy to finally be drying off. He shrugged as he placed his own towel around himself. "I'm not too sure. I found it a few weeks back when I was playing lookout for George and Lee. They were trying to go stea-I mean…" He quickly changed his train of thought when he noticed Hermione eyeing him in a somewhat disapproving manner. She smiled and shook her head as he continued. "Anyways, I came inside this door, and I was amazed. I went over to look at all of the books, and I didn't know what some of them were. Then I figured, if anybody would know what they were, it'd be you. I've been trying to find the right moment to ask you, but I could never seem to get you alone, or in a good enough mood." He smirked as his noticed her shocked expression. He gestured to the chairs as he pulled off his towel, now completely dry. He made his way over to the stacks of books as Hermione took a seat by the fire.

She removed her towel, and noticed immediately how her clothes, and her hair, had dried. She smiled at the towels and their charm, and then reached for a biscuit and some hot tea that was on the table in front of her. Fred sat on the arm of her chair and placed at least twenty books on the table in front of her. "All of these you have never even heard of?!"

Fred shook his head sheepishly and reached for a biscuit. He sat on the floor in front of her, and leaned against the table, as he waited for her to examine what he had brought over. Hermione wiped her fingers clean before standing up and looking at the books. She chuckled as she flipped through them and then knelt down next to Fred. "These are all muggle children's books." She leaned back against the chair and smiled, eating another biscuit. "But none of them ever interested me. Always a girl who needs a prince, or some kind of silly world, or even magic!" She noticed the look on his face and she rolled her eyes. "No, not this kind of magic. Just, silly things really. I much rather would have read something more logical." She tilted her head back a bit and smiled.

Fred's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me you didn't like any of these?! How could you, Hermione Granger, not like a book?" He flipped through a few copies and pulled one out. "The Wizard of Oz?" She shook her head.

"That one is too unrealistic. And it portrays magic as something somewhat evil. It's where all muggles get their misconceptions about us." She smiled and looked at him frantically examining each book.

"Alice Through the Looking Glass?"

"Nope, too… odd."

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?"

"No. There's a flying glass elevator. I think that's enough said."

"Charlotte's Web?"

"I just never liked the idea of all animals being able to talk. That's illogical, Fred."

He groaned, as there were only a few left. "What about this one? Matilda?" She sat up straighter, not answering him right away, which he took as a good sign. He continued on. "' _Matilda Wormwood is only five years old, but she is a genius. Unfortunately her parents are too stupid to even notice. Worse, her horrible headmistress Miss Trunchbull is a bully who makes life difficult for Matilda's teacher, Miss Honey, and her friends. But what Miss Trunchbull doesn't know is that Matilda has a trick or two up her sleeve…'_ " He looked over at her, a small smile appearing on his face, as he saw her mouth wide open. She nearly jumped on him to grab the book, but he held it up above his head.

"Fred give it here! Please?!" She finally got a hold of it and started pacing around the room looking at it. He smiled as he watched her and then sat himself in the chair she originally was sitting in. When she looped around the table and was in front of him, he reached out for her hand and pulled her to him.

"So what's that one then, love? I thought you didn't like any of them?" He smiled as he looked up at her, and she tried to hide a shy smile.

"This one… this one is different. This little girl, she's a bit of an outcast, really. Her only friends are books and her teacher. She feels so alone.." Hermione's mind wandered to her tattered copy of the book sitting up on her nightstand in her dormitory. It was hidden between all of her textbooks, but she knew that she still read it whenever she was upset, or alone. "She, uhm, she has powers too. She can do things without knowing how, and then she realizes, she knows that she has magic. I just, I always liked this one."

Fred frowned a bit, realizing why. He didn't like the idea of a little Hermione not having anybody but her books, but he knew that he was never going to let her feel like that again. He pulled her closer to him, right down into his lap.

She hesitated for a moment, before adjusting herself so she was comfortably sitting on him. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "Read it to me?"

She laughed a bit, before looking over her shoulder at him, and realizing he was serious. "Are you sure? You might find it a bit boring…"

He shook his head, before resting his chin on her shoulder. "Me?! Find a book boring?! Never!" He smiled and placed another soft kiss to her skin, making her heart jump into her throat. "I'm listening."

She sighed as she collected her thoughts, and then let a smile creep back onto her face. She opened the book and glanced at the image on the top of the page before beginning. " _It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers…_ " Fred shifted a bit beneath her, and pulled her closer to him. He closed his eyes and smiled as he listen to her voice. " _Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful._ "

The pair stayed in that comfy armchair for the rest of the night. Hermione read to Fred, sometimes getting overly excited, causing Fred to burst out into a fit of laughter. They finished the book rather late in the night, and decided to stay there until the morning, not wanting to risk getting caught by Filch. They talked in hushed whispers, and giggles, until they both fell asleep, curled up in each other's arms, the fire still quietly crackling in front of them.


	5. Chapter 5

After the first task had passed, Hermione felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She now had her best friends back, and Harry being tied for first in the competition certainly wasn't dampening her mood. She was also beginning to really make significant progress in her efforts with S.P.E.W. She now had at least five members, which was making her extremely hopeful. She also had received several donations, which really put her over the moon. She knew that soon enough, all of her efforts would pay off, which was why she sat up each night making S.P.E.W. badges until the early hours of the morning. Of course, tonight was no exception to this newfound passion project.

She was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, her finished badges and her materials all scattered throughout the table she had fixed herself at several hours ago. She was currently trying different spells to get the badges to make themselves, but she hadn't found the right one yet, and she was about to resort to making them by hand, when she felt someone wrap their arms around her from behind, stopping her from working.

She felt her face flush a bright pink and smiled slightly as she looked up at the older boy. "Hello, Fred."

He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Hello, love. What are you up to? S.P.E.W. badges again?" He chuckled as she looked back at her unfinished badges and he rested his chin on top of her head.

She nodded eagerly and tried to regain her focus. "Earlier, you mentioned that you've been to the kitchens." Fred laughed, knowing exactly what she was going to ask. "Do you think you could take me down?"

He sank down into the chair next to her and took one of her hands. "Love, I would love to, but I want you to know that they like what they do. And you know I'm all for your S.P.E.W. project, but I really think that those house-elves are happy working here!"

Hermione opened her mouth, and then quickly shut it, letting his words sink in. He had agreed to take her to the kitchens. "You'll really take me?!"

He ran his thumb over the back of her hand and stood up, leading her towards the door. "Oh, come on." He smiled and kept her hand in his the whole way down to the kitchens.

Of course Hermione made a big spectacle of her S.P.E.W. efforts upon entering the kitchens. After speaking to Dobby, she was awestruck. How could the poor creature not see how unfairly he was being treated? He barely made any money, and practically worked around the clock! She spoke the entire way back to the common room of nothing other than freeing the enslaved creature, causing Fred to laugh more than once. However, his fits of laughter were continuously cut short by the younger girl shooting him a glare that he thought resembled one he had seen on his mother's face one too many times.

A few days had gone by since their last rendez-vous, and Fred had barely spoken to Hermione. Maybe all of her S.P.E.W. efforts had pushed him away. After all, if she succeeded, that meant no more midnight snacks for the Weasley twins. She decided to push the thoughts out of her mind, and focus on the task that was before her. Well, technically it was Harry's task, not her's, but it was still important. She was deep in thought when she heard giggling, and looked up to see a group of girls walking by her, probably discussing details about the Yule Ball that Professor McGonagall had told them about in class a few days prior. Hermione would typically pay the girls no mind, but something they said caught her attention.

"Yes! He asked her today in the Great Hall!" One of the girls nearly shouted.

"Oh, I bet it was so romantic…" Another sighed.

Another girl laughed loudly. "Romantic?! Fred Weasley?! You must be dreaming, Marietta!"

Hermione looked over at them, her heart somewhere in the pits of her stomach. Maybe there was… another Fred Weasley? She knew it was highly illogical, but for the first time in her life, she wanted the silly thought to be a reality. Before she knew what her feet and mouth were doing, she found herself in front of the group of girls, questioning them. "Excuse me? Did you say Fred Weasley asked someone to the Yule Ball?"

The first girl rolled her eyes. "What does it concern you, Granger?" She motioned for her friends to gather their things, as they began to walk away. She turned over her shoulder and shouted back at Hermione. "He asked Angelina this morning. But don't act surprised. It's not like he was going to ask you!" Her laugh echoed in the empty corridor as Hermione was left alone.

Her eyes began to fill with tears, and before she knew fully what she was doing, she was running in the other direction. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she didn't want to be around anyone else. She flew up the first flight of stairs she could find, before colliding with none other than Lee Jordan.

He helped her up, apologizing profusely before noticing her sniffling, and her tear stained cheeks. "Are you alright, Hermione?" She nodded before excusing herself, and continuing on her path to nowhere.


	6. Chapter 6

The music was extremely loud. She could hear it all the way up in her dormitory, along with laughter and the occasional excited shrills. She had been standing in front of the mirror for at least twenty minutes, her confidence extremely shaky. Of course the dress and her hair and her makeup made her look absolutely stunning, but she felt so out of place. It wasn't her. It was as if she had used Polyjuice Potion to become another girl for the night. She ran her hands over the ruffles on her dress and took a shaky breath, knowing she had promised Viktor she would meet him at 8:15. She closed her eyes, before wiping a tear from her cheek, and turned towards the door.

She sped down the stairs, past the few Gryffindors who remained in the common room. She could feel their gaze on her, like they were all hawks, ready to swoop in and take their prey. She hated feeling so vulnerable. She tried to walk as fast as she could down to the Great Hall, but it felt as though time had slowed down. She was not prepared for what she was walking, or rather, running, into.

When she saw Viktor waiting for her, she smiled slightly, and made her way over to him. He kissed her hand, and made a point to tell her how beautiful she looked. She knew he was trying to be nice, but she still was not ready for what was inside of the large doors in front of her. She could see hundreds of people dancing, and singing, and having a good time, but she knew that she would not be one of them.

"Can we get a drink?" She asked softly as she looked up at the older boy. He nodded, and escorted her through the crowds to look for the food tables.

After a few hours, she began to loosen up. She even found herself laughing and smiling with her date. However, once Ron and Harry brought her back to reality, she wanted nothing to do with the silly festivity anymore. She didn't even go back inside the hall to say goodnight to her date. He had been truly lovely, but she knew that he wasn't who she wanted to be there with. He knew it, too, and maybe that was why he never bothered to come look for her when she curled up on the stairs, with her head in her hands.

She felt horrible for losing her temper with her friends, but they couldn't know why she was really upset. She knew if she told them, they would laugh. They would poke fun, of course. Why would she ever think Ron's athletic, attractive, and charming older brother ever cared about her? Her mind began to race with negativity as she let more tears flow down her cheeks. She didn't know how much time had passed, but the music was dying out, and she could hear many footsteps approaching her temporary resting place. Hermione slipped her shoes off of her aching feet, and left them on the stairs as she began to walk around the castle aimlessly, still wanting to be alone

 _You're such a silly girl._ She thought to herself. _Thinking that you could have a good night with a man like that. Why did he even want to go with you? He could have had any girl in the school! Why you?_ Before she knew it, she found herself at the door that a certain Weasley boy had once taken her in. She decided to take a chance, and slowly began to open the door, hoping that nobody else would be in her private space. She exhaled, when she saw the room barren, it's contents the same as the last time she was there.

She sat down in front of the fireplace, before noticing that there was a pile of clothes on a chair nearby. She smiled a bit, wiping a few tears from her cheeks. She quickly changed into the comfiest pair of pyjamas she had ever worn, and left her dress in a pile on the floor. She turned back towards the fire, and there was a hot butterbeer on the table in front of her. She let out a small laugh and sat down on a chair, facing the fire, and taking the mug in her hands. The room was truly magical.

She stared in front of her for a moment, before taking a shaky breath, letting her tears fall down. She was never one to let a boy make her feel this way, but she couldn't help it. She thought Fred cared about her, but all along, it was just a silly prank, and she had fallen right into it. She knew Fred and George were probably laughing about it back in the dormitories at that moment, after seeing how miserable she was all night. She knew that he had tricked her, and she knew she should want to rid him from her thoughts, but she couldn't shake what she was feeling. Her mind kept wandering back to the tall ginger boy. How his arms felt around her, how his lips felt against her skin. How his rough hands felt in hers, how infectious his laugh was. How kind and caring and sweet he had been. She couldn't help it. She was yearning for him to walk in the door, but she knew that he wouldn't. She knew that no matter how hard she tried to believe he was, Fred Weasley was not yearning for her.


	7. Chapter 7

He could not stop thinking about the younger girl. The way she tilted her head back when she laughed. The way her eyes creased right at the edges when she smiled just a little too wide. The way she looked at him when she thought he wasn't looking. How her hand fit perfectly inside of his large one. The way her body so naturally curved against his. How she looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. Her passion, her excitement, her pride, her joy. Her everything. She was constantly on his mind. It was starting to become a bit of a distraction for the prankster.

"Hello? Fred! Are you even listening to what I'm saying?!" His brother exclaimed. They were supposed to be working on plans for the latest scheme that they were brewing, but Fred had his head very high up in the clouds.

"George.. I'm sorry.. I don't know what's come over me lately." He sighed and put his head in his hands. Of course, he knew exactly what came over him. He was constantly consumed with the thought of being with a certain Ms. Hermione Granger. Of course he just had to have feelings for her now, of all times, when him and George were supposed to be making some of the biggest plans of their lives.

"If you aren't going to take this seriously than I might as well stop looking for places to open a shop!" George began to raise his voice a bit, at which Fred immediately perked up. When the boys looked at each other, George began to ease up slightly. "Is everything okay? You look like you haven't slept in days."

Fred silently shook his head. How could he tell his brother about the feelings he was having? For Hermione Granger, no less. His younger brother's best friend, for Merlin's sake! Imagine the tension at Christmas…

 _Christmas… that reminds me…_

George gently placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to find the most consoling words that he could think of. "You can talk to me about anything, you know? Although, being from the same flesh and blood, I might have an idea of what this is about…"

Fred's head shot up to meet his brother's now softer gaze. How could he know? Had he seen them together? He couldn't of… The one night Fred was sure he stayed up all night to keep an eye on Hermione. She was so small and fragile that night, he wanted to make sure no one disturbed her sleep. The only other time could have been in their secret room… But, then again, he didn't think George even knew where to find that room. He had certainly never seen it before that week. So, how could George know?

"I see you and Angelina at practice. Do you have a bit of a crush on your teammate, mate?" George snickered as he asked the question.

Fred shoved George's hand off of his shoulder with a sigh of relief. "Oh yeah, _definitely._ Tell me, what do Angelina and I act like, Georgie?"

The boys went back and forth for a while, clearly teasing each other about the whole situation. However, George began to grow incessant. He just knew that he could convince Fred to take her to the Yule Ball.

"I heard she doesn't have a date to the ball yet, Freddie. I'm sure you could ask her. I mean what other girls do you even have contact with? Ginny, but that's our sister and I'm sure you don't want to be known as _that guy_. Then there's Katie, but I heard she's going with Lee. The only other person you talk to is good old Hermione, but from what I heard, she's already got a date. Not that you'd want to go with her anyways." He nudged his brother a bit, laughing at the thought of that.

Fred stood up from his seat and looked down at his brother. Had he said Hermione already had a date? Who could it have been? Did their time together mean nothing to her? He could feel the heat rising to his face. "I have to go, George. I'll catch up with you later." He nearly knocked his chair onto the ground with how quickly he exited the common room.

His heart was somewhere in the depths of his stomach, and he didn't know if he would be able to find the courage to look for it. Hermione really had somebody else to go with. He was angry, he was extremely angry. How could she have just played into him like that? Did she really only view him as some sort of prankster? Didn't he prove to her that he wanted to be more than that to her? Obviously not.

He felt foolish, he felt stupid, he felt like an idiot. How could he not have seen this coming? It was clear to him, now. No matter how much he was yearning for Hermione Granger, she was not yearning for him.


End file.
